Seoung-Eui Shin was born March 9th, 1942 in Ham Kyung Nam Do (now in North Korea). Since 1909 Korea had been governed by Japan (which historically considered Korea a Japanese province); World War II brought an end to Japanese rule in 1945. In 1946 Shin's family moved south to the city of Seoul; however, in 1950 the Korean War ravaged the country, abetted by the world superpowers. The fighting forced young Shin's family to move once again to escape the fighting, this time even farther south. Times were very hard and after 18 months warfare once again forced Shin's family to relocate; they returned to Seoul, where the fighting was finally beginning to abate. The Korean War was played into as uneasy truce in 1953, and the country remains divided to this day. Like most other South Koreans, Shin has relatives still living in North Korea, but he is unable to visit or even communicate with them: Family members were killed on both sides of the war.

On June 12 1955 Seoung-Eui Shin began the study of Taekwondo in Seoul under the instruction of Grandmaster Kang Myung-Kyu (who now lives is Sacramento, CA). After ten months of attending four classes per day, six days per week, Shin became grandmaster Kang's first black belt student: Shin's actual promotion test was administered by Tang Soo Do founder Hwang Kee. Over the years, in addition to Taekwondo Shin also studied Judo, Kendo, Chinese Martial Arts, and boxing. In February 1965 Shin received his bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Choong An University in Seoul, and in April 1965 he entered the Republic of Korea Army as a Second Lieutenant. In the Army, Shin served as a Military Police (MP) officer, and he taught martial art at the Military Police Academy and to officers of the Third Division. Leaving the Army in May of 1969 with the rank of Military Police Captain, Shin became a full-time instructor for the Moo Duk Kwan in Seoul, and President of the Young Deung Po Taekwondo Association. By the time Shin came to America on November 27th, 1974 he had 100 students at the rank of black belt, 40 of whom reached the 4th Dan or higher. Master Shin himself now holds the 9th-degree black belt.

Noreen and Misha Thackrey had left California is 1978 so that Misha could attend graduate school at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. We met Master Shin at his Taekwondo school just outside Nashville, and we studied Taekwondo and martial art with him until 1987 when we left Tennessee so that Misha could accept a teaching job here in Fresno. We had, and continue to have, a very special relationship with Master Shin. For so many years he was the closest member of our family, and we saw one another through many special events in life. Noreen practiced at his school every day while she was pregnant with Tim; newborn Tim stayed at Master Shin's Taekwondojang, toddler Tim learned to kick there, and little kid Tim had his first victory at Shin's tournament. Becky Thackrey likewise spent her infancy at Shin's. Graceful, strong, and fast, Seoung-Eui Shin is a gifted martial artist and teacher. However, Master Shin's greatest impact upon us was as a person. Master Shin brought us to the level of independence is Taekwondo. Sometimes we idolized him. And sometimes I was so mad at him that I was ready to duke it out right then and there. Master Shin, a special teacher and friend, humanized our view of the martial artist and helped us to see the Master as a human being.